NEW YORK STATE PARKS UNVEILS NEW FAMILY SHARING EMPIRE PASS CARD

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) on February 16 announced that the new State Parks Empire Pass Card is available for purchase. The Empire Pass Card, accepted at state parks and recreation areas across New York, is a wallet-sized plastic card that can be shared among family members including parents, grandparents, caregivers and more. The card is presented upon vehicle entry and includes QR code and embedded chip technology to allow for easier park access at select facilities.

“We are responding with this new and more user-friendly product to strengthen the connection between people and their parks,” said State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey. “With the new Empire Pass card, gone are the days of needing multiple decals on multiple cars for families who enjoy the outdoors. The new Empire Pass card will allow parents to take any vehicle to the park, the family babysitter to keep the kids active over the summer, or grandparents to accompany the kids to a weekend nature program – all with one pass.”

The new wallet-sized family-sharing Empire Pass card will be offered for $80. This price saves multiple-vehicle families a minimum of $50 annually. The original Empire Pass decal, formerly known as the Empire Passport, will still be offered as a decal for $65 and must be affixed to a vehicle as it is not shareable.

Three-year, five-year and lifetime passes are available at discounted rates.

All products except the Lifetime Empire Pass can be purchased online at www.nysparks.com, by mail or by phone at 518-474-0458. The Lifetime Empire Pass can be purchased online only. The annual Empire Pass Card and Empire Pass Decal can also be purchased in person at a state park or at a state park regional office.